


A Slower Song

by ShadowMaker



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Angel is well an angel, Canon Divergence, M/M, Slow Dancing, angsty Jack, jack is fucking nice for once, lots of fluff, what even is tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 07:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5325200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowMaker/pseuds/ShadowMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>You can be a better person, Jack.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>If only Jack would believe it himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Slower Song

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by [ this post ](http://ym523.tumblr.com/post/134180855749/thank-you-anon-so-much-dancing-xd-hope-this-is). I just couldn't resist, so enjoy! Although it's really late for me and this probably isn't very good... Oh well.

"Hey Jack?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"What are you going to do when we get back to Helios?" Rhys gestured to the port in his temple with his flesh hand. Everyone else in the caravan was asleep, so for once there was no fear of looking crazy when he spoke to his hidden companion. Jack sat on the stairs leading up to the vehicle's dashboard, with one foot on the step above him and the other dangling casually below. He scratched his head, metaphorical gears grinding as he thought about how to answer Rhys' question without scaring him away.

Option one: Tell him the truth. Jack wants to regain control of Hyperion so he can suck this godforsaken planet dry, and he doesn't much care how that happens. Rhys is nothing more than a pawn. He basically worships Jack, so he'll still bring the AI back to Helios, but there's always the off chance of something going horribly wrong, so that's out.

Option two: Lie. Jack's good at lying. But what could he say that would be believable in this case? 'I want to retire and live out the rest of my days at a resort on Eden-5'? That won't work, so lying's out too.

Option three: Mix options one and two together. Tell the kid he wants his job back, and that he'll share. Don't tell him that he really doesn't matter. That he's just another one of Jack's tools. That he'll probably be brutally murdered as soon as Jack gets out of his head and into one of those clones Nakayama prepared so long ago. Yeah, this plan sounds like a winner.

"Listen up, cupcake. How would you like to rule Hyperion with me? You mess with Ass-quez or whatever his name was all you like, and you get paid the big bucks. Plus, the added bonus of working alongside the one and only Handsome Jack! What do you say, pumpkin?" Oh he was really laying it on thick this time. He'd have to be really creative with how he got rid of Rhys when the time came.

* * *

It's been over a year since they returned to Helios and got Jack into his own body again, but he still hasn't hurt Rhys. In fact, somewhere a long the way, Jack actually started to like the kid. He told himself it was nothing, and kept Rhys as his personal assistant to prove to himself that he was only keeping Rhys around because he was still useful to him. Damn good PA he was too. But then things started to get intimate. Lingering touches and soft words exchanged at 2 in the morning on late nights turned into heavy make out sessions and some of the best sex Jack has ever had. But he knows it won't last, he knows Rhys will leave him. Everyone always does. So for a while Jack is distant. He sends Rhys home when it's late, and makes less time for those burning touches and butterfly kisses that he won't admit he craves. 

All this brings him to his current state, legs kicked up on his desk, bottle of whisky in his hand, skimming through old files on his computer when he finds something he's never seen before. It's a video titled 'for you dad'. Angel. It's dated right before her death. Jack is immediately alert and adjusts his position in the chair to properly watch the video. He opens the link and--

He's never been more ashamed of what he did to his daughter than at that moment. She obviously recorded this during one of the small breaks between the eridium treatments, and she looked horrible. She barely had the strength to even sit up in the bed and record this. "Dad, if you're watching this, then I'm dead and you've either killed my vault hunters or they killed you and you somehow came back. I wouldn't even be surprised if that happened, actually." Jack laughs, and takes a giant gulp out of the bottle. He's not nearly drunk enough for this.

"Anyway, I need you to know that I hate you for everything you've done to me and the people of Pandora, and even your own corporation. Nothing you do will ever atone for that." She stops to let out a hacking cough and shakily drink a glass of water. "But... I have to believe that there's some shred of decency in you. I know you loved me in your own sick, twisted way, and that means you can change. You can be a better person Jack. If you get another chance to love someone, make sure you do it the right way. I think--" Whatever else she had left to say as scientists in hazmat suits cut out the recording and drag her back to the eridium pumps.

_You can be a better person, Jack._

_Love someone._

_Do it the right way._

Her last words reverberate in his ears. He doesn't even think before calling Rhys' ECHOcomm. "Have you left yet?"

There's a small silence before Rhys responds, tentative after how Jack's been treating their relationship lately. "I just got out of the elevator. Do you... want me to come back up?"

"Yes." Jack's voice comes out all wrong. _Do it the right way._ Rhys won't leave him, and he won't betray him, because he's already a much better person than before he died (he never thought a sentence like that would ever make sense). He can try to love Rhys the right way, without hurting him or using him. Hell, he couldn't even really use him when he first met him.

The elevator dings, and Jack flies out of his chair to hug a very flustered Rhys. "Jack, what...?"

"Shhh. Just let me hold you for a bit, princess." Rhys was about to argue, but instead just wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and started swaying lightly, letting Jack just hold on and recharge for a bit. It takes a while before Jack realizes they're slow dancing. He decides its a nice change of pace.

Jack lets his eyes close and rests his head on Rhys' shoulder. "Mm'sorry Rhysie," he mumbles. Rhys just squeezes a little bit tighter in acknowledgement and leads Jack in a slower dance, for once.

**Author's Note:**

> So this did not turn out at all like I had planned, but I've resolved myself to post it so here it is. I'm so sorry, I'll go hide now :/


End file.
